Game balls are commonly exposed to moisture in the liquid state during the course of normal use. For example, a game ball may commonly come in contact with the perspiration of a player as the ball is handled and with dew, rain, and snow on the playing surface and surrounding area. It is even possible for a ball to become immersed in a puddle or other body of water during the course of normal play.
When a traditionally made leather covered game ball comes in contact with water, an amount of water is likely to be absorbed by the leather cover. Direct and obvious negative effects which result from the cover absorbing water include an increase in the weight of the ball, a deterioration in ball handling characteristics and a darkening of the color of the leather cover. It will be appreciated that the weight and handling characteristics of the ball are of particular importance at any level of athletic play, and that preserving the original dry handling characteristics of a ball even in adverse weather or poor field conditions is of great importance.
It is well known that leather softens when wet and becomes noticeably less durable. In particular, wet leather is less resistant to wear from surface abrasion, cuts and gouges from contact with coarse or sharp objects. As leather dries, it typically shrinks and becomes harder and stiffer than prior to wetting. In a game ball, this may lead to cracking of the leather, or even tearing in areas of high stress, such as at stitching points between the cover panels of the ball. Repeated cycles of wetting and drying can exacerbate the problem of shrinkage, cracking and hardening of the leather cover. Therefore, it will be recognized by the practitioner that the overall durability of a ball and its resistance to absorbing moisture in the liquid state are of particular importance in prolonging the useful life and preserving the structure and playability of the ball.
Various materials are known in the art for providing protection against wetting of the leather cover of a game ball. These materials are primarily intended for treating the outer surface of the cover in order to impart a water repellant finish. Waxes and wax-like substances such as SIMONZ wax, commercially available from S.C. Johnson Wax Company, Racine, Wis., and a specialty waterproofing wax-like material known as SNO-SEAL commercially available from ATSKO/Sno-Seal, Inc., Orangeburg, S.C., have been applied to leather game ball covers to impart a water repellant finish. Other materials, such as the polyfluoroalkyl materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,935 and the silicone materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,088 have also been used on game ball covers.
All of the wax and wax-like substances, polyfluoroalkyl materials and silicone materials tend to wear away during the course of normal game ball use. Thus, the effectiveness of the water resistance these materials may provide may be greatly diminished or even totally lost. In addition, some materials, such as the silicone-based materials for imparting water resistance, may even wash off under wet playing conditions.
Further drawbacks of treating the game ball cover with these types of waterproofing materials include significantly altering the color of the leather to which the materials are applied. Typically, the leather is considerably darkened through the application of these materials. More importantly, leather covered game balls which have been treated with these materials have their “feel” significantly altered. For game play, maintaining the normal texture, feel and grip of the game ball is of significant importance. Applying materials which cause a ball to become slippery, sticky, or in the case of some waxes, simply unpleasant to handle, can significantly alter the normal course of play.
The leather tanning and hide industry has developed tanning techniques for improving the water resistance properties of leather. One such process is known as “fat liquoring”. This process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,187 and involves the use of a sulfosuccinic monoester in the tanning and treating chemicals to impart the desired water resistance properties to the finished hides.